Cessna 182 accident near Luthersville, Georgia, April 6, 1989
On April 6, 1989 at about 8:00 pm local time, a Cessna 182, registered N5458B, was destroyed in an accident near Luthersville, Georgia (Flying N airport). It was a business flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person was killed. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
PILOT'S FAILURE TO TAKE ACTION THAT WOULD PREVENT THE FORMATION OF CARBURETOR ICE. FOLLOWING THE ENGINE MALFUNCTION, THE PILOT DID NOT CONFIGURE THE AIRPLANE SO AS TO REDUCE THE SEVERITY OF THE IMPACT, I.E. EXTEND THE FLAPS AND SLOW THE AIRPLANE. CONTRIBUTING TO THE ACCIDENT WAS THE LACK OF A REQUIREMENT BY THE FAA FOR THE AUTOGAS STC HOLDER TO PUBLISH CARBURETOR ICING PROBABILITY IMFORMATION.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- April 6, 1989 · about 8:00 pm local time
- Place
- Luthersville, Georgia · Flying N
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was killed.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 182 · all 182s on the register
- Registration
- N5458B · no longer on the register · serial 18233458
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Business flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The factual record from the NTSB's investigation tables, in plain English
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 900 hours in all
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: unk
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 3,061 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, January 1, 1989; 4 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,550 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental O-470-L (piston); 0 hours total
- Fire on the ground
The flight
- Departed from: 3M6 Huntsville AL
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 16, 3,000 ft by 50 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 310° at 10 knots, gusting 21
- Visibility: 25 statute miles
- Sky: scat at 3,000 ft
- Temperature: 61°F (16°C), dew point 27°F (-3°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 7:54 pm from ATL, 30 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
The docket, the folder of records gathered during an investigation (maintenance records, photographs, witness statements, examinations), has not been read from the NTSB for this case yet; the list appears here once it has. Open the docket at the NTSB.
Everything on this page comes from the NTSB's public records. The narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words; the coded tables behind the report are written out in plain English, with pilots' ages, home towns and medical details left out. The documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, shown as the NTSB released them. This site's own text never names anyone involved. A preliminary report can change; the final report usually follows one to two years later, and the page is refreshed when it does.